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Construction Begins on New Bridge at Port of Long Beach

Officials celebrated the kickoff of construction today on a $1 billion
project to replace the primary bridge at the Port of Long Beach, a
four-year effort that will enhance a critical link in the nation's trade
system and improve an important transportation corridor for California.

Under the theme “Building Bridges - Raising Economies,” federal, state
and local officials gathered near the base of the existing Gerald
Desmond Bridge for a ceremony that included two helicopters hovering at
515 feet – the eventual height of the two new towers. The new bridge
will allow the world's biggest cargo ships to reach the inner berths at
the Port of Long Beach and simultaneously expand a strategic highway
that carries 15 percent of all goods coming into the U.S.

"This bridge is vital to freight movement and the nation's economy,”
said Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez. “The project will also
relieve congestion on the road network that directly serves one of the
nation's busiest ports.”

“This new bridge will be a monument to the power of partnerships,” said
Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “Everyone stepped up to the plate
to make this a reality – the state, the port, the federal government,
the local transportation agency and the construction industry.”

With the twin 50-story-high towers, the new bridge will be one of the
tallest cable-stayed bridges in the United States and the first of its
kind in California. The “high-wire” aerial demonstration by the
helicopters gave attendees at today's ceremony an idea of the eventual
grandeur of a bridge expected to provide an exciting new feature to the
Southern California skyline.

“A world-class bridge will serve as a long-term investment in our Port
and create a new West Coast icon,” said Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster.
“The Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project is vital to our city, to
our state and to our nation. This new bridge will bring lasting,
positive economic impacts across many sectors.”

The replacement project will allow the Gerald Desmond Bridge to remain
in use while the new one is erected adjacent to it. The new bridge is
among $4.5 billion in current and planned improvements to further
modernize the Port of Long Beach and keep it competitive. Work on the
new bridge will generate, on average, 3,000 jobs a year during
construction.

The new bridge will raise the clearance over the channel from 155 feet
to 200 feet, allowing the world's largest ships to enter the Port's
inner harbor.

“A new bridge is vital to our port tenants, to our communities and to
businesses around the world that depend on us to move their goods,” said
Port of Long Beach Executive Director J. Christopher Lytle. “The new
bridge will be a shining beacon for the world to see that we intend to
remain a very modern port.”

With deep channels and tall cranes, the Port of Long Beach already is
serving the world's biggest cargo ships at some of its piers, but the
height of the Gerald Desmond Bridge restricts these large ships from
entering the inner channels.

The new bridge also will improve speed and efficiency for land-based
cargo movement and commuters. Commuters account for three-quarters of
the bridge traffic, which is nearly 70,000 daily vehicle trips. The
Gerald Desmond Bridge, which opened in 1968, provides a critical link
from Terminal Island and the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to
downtown Long Beach and the 710 freeway.

Other features of the new bridge include a bike path, pedestrian path
and scenic observation decks 200 feet above the water. Construction
costs on the new bridge will be about $650 million, with site
preparation, demolition of the existing bridge and other considerations
bringing the total project to $1 billion.

This project is a joint effort of the California Department of
Transportation and the Port of Long Beach with funding also from the
U.S. Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

“Replacing the Gerald Desmond is critical to enhancing the safety of
motorists, creating jobs and meeting the transportation needs of a vital
component of the nation's economy. It is a part of our multi-modal
approach to solving not only today's traffic challenges but ensuring
mobility and economic growth in years to come,” said Diane DuBois, Board
Director of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Another demonstration at today's ceremony highlighted the latest
engineering techniques to be used in building the massive towers and
bridge pylons. An oscillator and crane installed a five-foot-diameter
steel casing in the ground for the construction of a test shaft that
will be used to verify the design of the foundations.

A joint venture team headed by Shimmick Construction Co. Inc., FCC
Construction S.A. and Impregilo S.p.A. (SFI) is the primary contractor
for the design and construction of the replacement bridge.

For more information on the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project,
go to www.newgdbridge.com.